Tennis

Simona Halep loses in 2nd round of Shenzhen Open

SHENZHEN, China (AP) Simona Halep’s preparations for the Australian Open took a hit when the second-seeded Romanian was beaten by Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 in the second round of the Shenzhen Open.

Halep, the 2015 champion, was broken four times in the final set. Altogether, the two players combined for 15 breaks of serve in the match.

Also, Kristyna Pliskova of the Czech Republic advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Chang Kai-chen of Taiwan, and Nina Stojanovic of Serbia defeated Ons Jabeur of Tunisia 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.